Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was left to revel in an Italian-style victory after Andre Ayew’s injury-time header gave his side a last-gasp 1-0 win over Inter Milan here on Wednesday. The first leg of the Champions League last 16 tie had been drifting towards a goalless draw when Ayew pounced to convert Mathieu Valbuena’s 93rd-minute corner and put OM in the driving seat ahead of the second leg on March 13.
Deschamps spent six years in Italy with Juventus — five as a player and one as a coach — and he admitted it was refreshing to finish on the right end of a scoreline in which Italian teams traditionally specialise. “When we scored, there was no chance for them to come back,” he said. “It’s true that it feels good when you’re on the right side of it. Often it’s the Italian sides who do that, but tonight it was us.”
It is almost a year since OM fell to Manchester United at the same stage of last season’s tournament, after a 0-0 draw in the home leg, and Deschamps was pleased his side had avoided the same traps they fell into 12 months ago. “Compared to last season, we’ve progressed,” said the Frenchman, whose side are fifth in Ligue 1 and still competing in both domestic cup competitions.
“We had a 0-0 then (against United), now it’s 1-0. It’s a source of pride for me and my players, because they believed right until the end.” With Marseille unbeaten since November 23 and Inter without a win in six games prior to kick-off, the 2010 champions appeared ripe for the taking but the hosts struggled to break them down until the closing stages. Having returned recently from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ghana, Ayew sounded the rallying cry by forcing Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar into a pair of saves before finally breaking the deadlock in the final minute of added time. “He has that desire, that determination — it’s inside him and he’ll always have it,” said Deschamps of his match-winner.
